User:Vicki4894/Steve Wilkinson

''' Barb and Steve Wilkinson directed TLC from 1977 to 2010. Steve was the head men’s tennis coach at Gustavus Adolphus College for the past 40 years and the winningest coach in men’s tennis collegiate history with 923 victories With his team’s overall record of 929-279 (.768) and a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) mark of 334-1 (.997). Him and his wife, Barbara Wilkinson are the founders of the Tennis and Life Camps (TLC) —the largest tennis camp in one location in the country. For more than 35 years, the couple dedicated their time and effort to improving tennis performance of youth and adults while teaching life lessons that can be used off the court.For the past 40 years, he's used tennis to teach life. Now Steve and his wife, Barb Wilkinson serve on the Board of Directors and continue to assist Tennis & Life Camps. Wilkinson has also played a key role in the fundraising and construction of Gustavus Adolphus College’s tennis facilities, which are considered to be among the finest in the nation. Gustavus’ first-rate facilities include the Gibbs Outdoor Tennis Center, the Brown Outdoor Tennis Center, and the Swanson Indoor Tennis Center. In the summers, Wilkinson and his wife, Barbara run the Tennis and Life Camps on the Gustavus campus. In 2010 Steve received the International Tennis Hall of Fame national education award and was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association/ Intercollegiate Hall of Fame. 

In addition to his coaching abilities, Wilkinson was also an outstanding player in his own right. He played collegiate tennis at the University of Iowa where he finished second at the No. 1 doubles position at the Big Ten Conference Championship his senior season. After college, Wilkinson played competitive tennis for many years and was ranked No. 1 in the United States in the 45, 50, 55 and 60-and-over divisions. He has represented the United States in the Dubler Cup, Perry Cup and Austria Cup competitions, winning the world championship in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1989 and finishing second in Berlin, Germany, in 1992. He has coached 46 players to 87 all-American honors (including current ATP tour player Eric Butorac). Steve and Eric have developed a strong relationship both on the court and off the court.Wilkinson has supported Eric Butorac from NCAA Division III singles to the 2010 Australian Open. They have kept in close contact with each other throughout the years.Steve founded the Tennis and Life clinics/camps more than 25 years ago and has dedicated his time and effort to improving tennis performance of youth and adults while teaching life lessons that can be used off the court. He has been a USPTA member since 1972. he USPTA Hall of Fame serves as a place to honor excellence in the tennis profession and commitment to USPTA, the world’s oldest and largest association of tennis-teaching professionals.

But it isn’t just the trophies on the wall or the incredible statistics that define Wilkinson—in fact they are merely a small part of what makes up this remarkable campus figure. Talk to anyone who’s spent at least 10 minutes with him, and you’ll see how no article could ever convey the impact or the presence he’s had on the lives of generations of students around the world.